Staircases
by ADAB2104
Summary: Fic set at the end of Cursed Child, exists so I can later rewrite part of the original script as a Scorbus staircase scene :)


_Hello readers, if anyone is actually reading this! This story is my first fic and it will probably (hopefullyyyy) get better with time, so bear with me. Any feedback or critisism is welcomed. I hope you enjoy the story!_

 **\- Although I wish that they were my own, the characters in this story are the property of JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany -**

It was the early hours of the morning and Scorpius Malfoy lay awake on his four poster bed, deep underneath the school in the 4th year Slytherin dormitories. Shadows danced across the damp stone walls and the room was gradually lightening. Scorpius lay flat upon his green silk duvet cover staring at the dark wooden panel, engraved with small snakes, above his head, his mind racing. The dark, heavy curtains that hung down from it were pulled completely around the bed except for a small gap just to the right of Scorpius' head. Scorpius turned slightly and looked through the space to see the sleeping form of his best friend Albus in the bed beside him.

Albus never closed his curtains, he always told Scorpius that closing them made him feel isolated, Scorpius had disagreed. Being engulfed in the curtains made him feel protected, hidden away from the classmates who teased him relentlessly. But watching Albus through that gap made him feel safe. He lay on his side for a while watching the sleeping boy's body rise and fall with his breath and found his own breaths falling in time with Albus'. Scorpius felt his heart quicken and suddenly, feeling that watching Albus sleep was in some way intrusive, turned quickly onto his back, pulling the curtains closed as he did.

Perhaps in the past watching Albus sleep wouldn't have been considered intrusive, but when Scorpius looked at Albus the thoughts that filled his head were definitely not the sort of thoughts a best friend should be having.

Albus awoke with a start like he always did after a dream like that. He rubbed his hands against his eyes and, blinking, sat up in his bed. Albus had been having bad dreams every night since that fateful Hallow's eve, reliving it over and over. They always ended in the same way, with Delphi torturing Scorpius. Albus always awoke with the agonising screams of his best friend ringing in his ears.

Albus shuddered. He looked at the bed beside him and felt an enormous sense of relief that he didn't quite understand wash over him as he saw his best friend's silhouette through the curtains. Albus could see that Scorpius was sat cross legged on his bed reading a book, and the normalcy of that calmed him. It had been just over a week since he and Scorpius had returned to Hogwarts, with strict warnings from their parents, and especially from Professor Mcgonagall that any wrong doing would result in immediate expulsion. Sometimes it felt odd that life had simply gone back to normal, after everything that had happened.

Albus looked around the room, only now realising that the other boys were gone. There had been a Hogsmeade trip planned for that day and Albus expected that the others had wanted to head off early in order to spend the whole day in the town that he and his best friend were now banned from visiting. It didn't bother Albus, he'd never much liked Hogsmeade anyway.

Since their return most of the students had observed them cautiously, from a distance, still unsure of the facts, only certain of one thing. That Craig Bowker was dead. No one really knew how he had died, only that the two boys were somehow involved. Even within a week many students seemed to have moved on and forgotten about Craig but Albus couldn't. The guilt and the feelings that he was responsible for Craig's death hadn't faded in the slightest, and it didn't help that Craig's death always played a big part in his nightmares. Albus was glad that the rest of the school didn't know all of the details and was happy to stay in the background with just Scorpius for company. Scorpius was the only person that he needed.

Albus shook his head hoping to clear his mind. His parents had sat down with him before he came back to school, telling him that nothing that happened had been his fault and Albus appreciated that. Even in the short time since being at Godric's Hollow his strained relationship with his father had gradually begun to improve. But his larent's reassurance didn't stop his feelings of responsibility, his wish to go back and change everything. However, Albus knew now that he could never do that, not again.

Albus' thoughts were interrupted by the sharp, scraping sound of curtains being pulled back and his head snapped up to see a smiling Scorpius leaning out from behind the fabric.

'You're awake then?' Scorpius said, pulling the drapes further back and carefully placing his book on the worn table beside him.

'Clearly,' said Albus laughing, as he slid his feet into his slippers. Scorpius pulled a face. 'You know, for a smart guy you really haven't got much common sense.' Scorpius pretended to look offended but quickly started laughing too.

'I haven't got much common sense?' Scorpius said disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms. 'Coming from you, the boy who thought it would be a good idea to steal a time turner and-' Albus stopped laughing and looked down.

'Ah... too soon?' Scorpius ran a hand though his white blond hair, concerned. Albus said nothing.

'Albus? Albus, I'm sorry.' Scorpius slid forward on his bed and Albus looked up slowly and gave Scorpius a small, sad smile.

'It's okay, it's not your fault.' Albus looked down again, his face darkening, before muttering 'But it is mine.'

'Albus, no.' Scorpius got up from his bed and sat down beside his friend. 'Albus look at me.' Albus sighed slightly but turned to face Scorpius. 'The things that happened, the things that went... wrong, they weren't your fault.'

Albus jumped up off the bed before turning aggressively back to Scorpius and shouting 'Then whose fault was it? Because I'm pretty sure I was the one who came up with the whole stupid idea to go back in time and-'

'Albus.' Scorpius said gently but firmly, standing up to face him, he was used to Albus' emotional outbursts after the past week. 'Going back to save Cedric was a good thing to do, going back to spare his life... that was so brave.'

'But I didn't spare his life did I? I just made everything worse and then Craig...' Albus trailed off, he had lost the anger in his voice. He just sounded broken. He let out a small sob and turned away to hide his emotion. Scorpius took his time before carefully replying.

'Craig's death was awful, but Albus, you have to understand, that was not your fault.' Scorpius took a step closer. 'Delphi was strong, she had us all fooled and what you did Albus, it exposed her. Without you she would have grown stronger and stronger! And the world, well the world would have got darker.'

Albus' shoulders shook and he took great shuddering breaths. Scorpius took another step closer. He cautiously placed his hands on Albus' shoulders and turned him gently around so that they were facing each other. Keeping his arms on Albus' shoulders he looked into his friend's tear filled eyes.

'Albus, yes it was your idea to steal the time turner but Delphi was manipulating you, manipulating everyone around her.' The room was silent for a moment except for Albus' quiet sobbing.

'All of this is just as much down to me as it is to you, if I had just done something different maybe Craig-'

Albus suddenly threw his arms around Scorpius cutting him off. 'Agghh, Albus!' Scorpius squirmed uncomfortably in the arms of his friend, a little scared that if he hugged his Albus back he would never let go. Even so he gave in, wrapping his arms around his best friend, wanting him to know that he was safe and loved. _Loved as a friend_ Scorpius quickly reminded himself.

After a few moments Scorpius gently pulled away. ''I thought we didn't hug..?' he said. Albus laughed and stepped away, dragging his hand across his eyes and wiping away his tears.

'Yeah, well, I thought that maybe we both needed it.'


End file.
